Last Modified: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 4:46 p.m.

Loren Lettieri rides a motorcycle by Tent No. 7 at at the HITS show at Post Time Farm on Friday. A horse in Tent No. 7 was confirmed to have the equine herpes virus last week.

Doug Engle/Star-Banner

The quarantine was issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service Division of Horse Industry after five more horses, which were no longer on the grounds, tested positive for the equine herpes virus (EHV-1).

No horses are allowed to leave Post Time Farm off U.S. 27 near Ocala. Organizers will allow anyone who wants to compete onto the grounds, but once there, his or her horse cannot leave until the quarantine is lifted, which could take as long as 21 days.

It was not clear Wednesday how long the quarantine would last. About a week ago, tent No. 7 at the showgrounds was quarantined after a horse housed there tested positive for EHV-1. Since then, no other horse on the grounds has tested positive.

"They said it could be a few days or up to two weeks," HITS spokeswoman Kristen Vale said of the quarantine.

The new cases all came from horses no longer on the showgrounds, but which were housed in tent Nos. 3 and 6. The farms where the horses are currently found, including a fifth in Marion County, were all placed under quarantine.

The show is scheduled to run until March 17. Vale said there were approximately 1,300 horses currently on the grounds and all scheduled competitions will continue.

"We put a lot of consideration into what to do; not only for our own economic situation, but for that of the other horsemen and the health of the horses. We want to be sure we were making the right decision for everyone" Vale said, adding that the quarantine does not bar competing.

The competitors will be fewer, given that between 1,800 and 2,000 horses usually are on the grounds.

Redfield Farm in Ocala is among the latest of the now 11 quarantined facilities since the HITS outbreak. That affected horse was on the grounds about a week ago, Vale said.

Miles Away Farm in Loxahatchee, where four horses tested positive, was also under quarantine.

A sixth horse that tested positive for EHV-1, but is not believed to be linked with the HITS outbreak, was located at Tequestrian Farm in Wellington. The FEI tent at the Wellington Showgrounds was also quarantined in connection with that case.

None of the most recent cases have shown signs of neurological problems, which is the potentially fatal aspect of the illness. The cases so far are linked to the "wild strain" of the virus, not the more aggressive "mutant strain."

The virus is spread among horses through the air via sneezing and coughing. It does not affect humans. However, humans can spread the virus from horse to horse via contaminated hands, clothing and shoes. Contaminated feed and water buckets also are culprits in the spread of the illness.

<p>Despite a state quarantine issued on Wednesday for all horses at the HITS showgrounds, the organizers of the Ocala Circuit are going on with the competition.</p><p>The quarantine was issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service Division of Horse Industry after five more horses, which were no longer on the grounds, tested positive for the equine herpes virus (EHV-1).</p><p>No horses are allowed to leave Post Time Farm off U.S. 27 near Ocala. Organizers will allow anyone who wants to compete onto the grounds, but once there, his or her horse cannot leave until the quarantine is lifted, which could take as long as 21 days.</p><p>It was not clear Wednesday how long the quarantine would last. About a week ago, tent No. 7 at the showgrounds was quarantined after a horse housed there tested positive for EHV-1. Since then, no other horse on the grounds has tested positive.</p><p>"They said it could be a few days or up to two weeks," HITS spokeswoman Kristen Vale said of the quarantine.</p><p>The new cases all came from horses no longer on the showgrounds, but which were housed in tent Nos. 3 and 6. The farms where the horses are currently found, including a fifth in Marion County, were all placed under quarantine.</p><p>The show is scheduled to run until March 17. Vale said there were approximately 1,300 horses currently on the grounds and all scheduled competitions will continue.</p><p>"We put a lot of consideration into what to do; not only for our own economic situation, but for that of the other horsemen and the health of the horses. We want to be sure we were making the right decision for everyone" Vale said, adding that the quarantine does not bar competing.</p><p>The competitors will be fewer, given that between 1,800 and 2,000 horses usually are on the grounds.</p><p>Redfield Farm in Ocala is among the latest of the now 11 quarantined facilities since the HITS outbreak. That affected horse was on the grounds about a week ago, Vale said.</p><p>Miles Away Farm in Loxahatchee, where four horses tested positive, was also under quarantine.</p><p>A sixth horse that tested positive for EHV-1, but is not believed to be linked with the HITS outbreak, was located at Tequestrian Farm in Wellington. The FEI tent at the Wellington Showgrounds was also quarantined in connection with that case.</p><p>None of the most recent cases have shown signs of neurological problems, which is the potentially fatal aspect of the illness. The cases so far are linked to the "wild strain" of the virus, not the more aggressive "mutant strain."</p><p>The virus is spread among horses through the air via sneezing and coughing. It does not affect humans. However, humans can spread the virus from horse to horse via contaminated hands, clothing and shoes. Contaminated feed and water buckets also are culprits in the spread of the illness.</p><p>The other farms under quarantine include: Up Country Farm, Ocala; Montera Farm, Ocala; Flutterby Farm, Ocala; Kings Ridge Farm, Reddick; Brookmore Farm, Oviedo; Foxwood Farms, Pinellas Park; Black Forest Farm, St. Augustine; and Littlewood Farm, Wellington.</p>